Marin water board OKs desalination plant

Marin

Kelly Zito, Chronicle Staff Writer

Published
4:00 am PDT, Thursday, August 20, 2009

Marin County's largest water utility voted Wednesday night to build a plant that will convert about 5 million gallons of seawater into drinking water for about 190,000 people. It's the first such project on San Francisco Bay.

Despite vocal opposition to the project that extended the Marin Municipal Water District's board meeting well into the night, the board voted 4-0 in favor. The five-member board has one vacancy.

Most speakers at the at-times boisterous meeting attended by about 200 people opposed the desalination facility on the grounds that it is too costly, would harm marine life and could expose people to harmful bay chemicals. What's more, they say, the steep energy needs of the plant will pump huge amounts of climate-changing gases into the atmosphere.

"When you look at the bigger picture, it makes no sense," said Mark Schlosberg of Food Water Watch, an environmental advocacy group.

But the district and others say desalination is the best way to satisfy projected population and economic growth.

Water managers across California, now in its third year of drought, are struggling to find new water supplies while figuring out how to encourage conservation.

Marin County, which relies on seven relatively small local reservoirs, contends that the new facility will provide an insurance policy against longer dry spells anticipated due to global warming.

In previous dry periods, Marin County has been able to build emergency pipelines and negotiate for more water from the Russian River, but water managers say those options are no longer available.

The plant, planned for a seven-acre shoreline plot in San Rafael, is projected to cost about $105 million and would cost $3 million to $4 million annually to operate. The district said it would fund the project using local bonds and a $3 to $5 increase in monthly water bills.

Some in the business community support the county.

"Under a severe drought, the economy will be impacted tremendously," Bill Scott, business manager of a local building trades council, told the board. Desalination represents "the only long-term ability to get water."

After the vote, board directors pointed out that the project will be subject to years of permit applications, funding requests and design reviews, not to mention potential lawsuits. The plant would be up and running by 2014 at the earliest.